Semi-circular Moonstones

placed at the entrance of places is a sign of welcome to all visitors, also beside the moonstone are two columnar guard stones in order to prevent any evil spirits from entering. Known in Sinhalese as sandakada pahana, it is roughly translated into English as moonstone. The name is based on its shape and design. The ancient chronicle Mahavamsa and Pali literature such as the Samantapasadika refer to the sandakada pahana as patika. First seen in the latter stage of the Anuradhapura period, the sandakada pahana evolved through the Polonnaruwa, Gampola and Kandy periods. According to historians, the sandakada pahana symbolises the cycle of Samsara in Buddhism.